1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to book marks, and more particularly, to a book mark having an end which is free to move through aligned apertures provided in a book and an end adapted for anchoring the book mark within the book.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Generally speaking, a variety of devices for holding pages of a book open at a desired place or for marking a specific location in a book are well-known. Book marks are known which have one free end and a second end fixed as by gluing, stapling or stitching, for example, to a book so that the book mark is always available with the associated book. Examples of these are U.S. Pat. No. 1,802,081 to A. W. Kelly and U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,094 to J. O'Neill. The device of Kelly includes a wire member between the book binding and the back of the leaves having hinged to it another member, which may also be of wire, for swinging down between the book pages. The patent to O'Neill discloses a book mark consisting of a string secured at one end to a patch which is in turn glued to the inside of the front cover of the book. In each case, because of the materials involved and because the book mark is fixed to the book, or to a book jacket, there is considerable time and expense involved with publishing the book with the associated book mark. Also, neither O'Neill nor Kelly teaches a book mark having an end which is free to penetrate through apertures provided in the book as does the new book mark.
A few book marks have been known which penetrate through the pages of a book. Examples of these are British Pat. Nos. 601,722 to Manzardo, 153,735 to Fraser and 15,561 to Penman.
Fraser illustrates a ribbon penetrating book pages and adjustably secured on each end by a tab through which the ribbon may be strung. This book mark is capable of pulling free from the tabs on each end and thereafter dropping from a book. Also, ribbon is necessarily subject to mildew and rotting, which will necessarily shorten the life of the book to be marked therewith.
British Pat. No. 601,722 to Manzardo claims an automatic book marker which consists of a tape integrally attached to anchoring cross pieces at each of its ends. The teachings of Manzardo indicate that such tape penetrates through the pages of the book and is of a finite length. The Manzardo book marker length is constant throughout the entire edition of a book. The cross pieces of the book marker are made integral with the tape out of a single piece of soft, pliable cloth material so that they can be folded and drawn through the perforations in the pages. It may be readily seen that such manipulation of ribbon and pages, especially on a repeated basis, will quickly cause damage to the book pages and that further such handling is awkward and time consuming.
Penman describes a book mark which is sewn or otherwise fixed at the ends thereof to the book. It is formed of cord or ribbon which passes through the book and is preferably of silk or other soft, flexible material. As with the previously described book marks, that of Penman is subject to rotting and eventually contributing to spoiling of the book.
Also, many other different designs of book marks exist which typically include several distinct components which may be costly in production, and may also require maintenance. In normal, everyday usage, because they are not engageable with the book, some of these devices may be accidentally detached or displaced from the book, thereby greatly diminishing functionality. Others, as previously discussed, are subject to wear, mildew and rotting over time.
There is a need for an inexpensive book mark of indeterminate length that is effectively engageable to the book and may be readily manipulated without causing damage to the book or its pages. The use of such a book mark will prevent misuse of books such as is a common habit of many readers wherein the corner of a page is folded over to indicate location, or the back of the book is broken by being left in a forced-open position to mark a page. Furthermore, the invention permits utilization of more than one such marker for indicating different locations within a book. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a book mark that will combine the features of low cost in manufacturing and thus to the consumer, while at the same time being effectively engageable with the book for reliable usage.